“If you don’t find absolute joy in other people’s success, being a leader’s probably not going to float your boat,” says today’s guest, Laurie Labra.

Daniel and Peter welcome Laurie to this episode of The Leadership Growth Podcast for a fun and insightful conversation about leadership in a highly technical environment. Laurie is a vice president at KBR, Inc., leading the company’s Science & Space Human Exploration Division.

Laurie brings great expertise to this conversation about leadership, and she shares some important insights about decision-making, developing new leaders, and communication.

Tune in to learn:

• How to balance the tension between delivering technical excellence and maintaining strong team relationships
• Why the mirror can be your best friend before a tough conversation
• The one test you can never ace

Plus, the value of meeting new people, and how early career lessons can stick with you for the rest of your life.

In this episode:

0:59 – Introduction and Background

4:28 – Leadership Lessons for the Next Generation

10:39 – Achieving Technical Excellence Without Damaging People

15:51 – Decision Making When You Don’t Have All the Info

21:08 – Communication Tips

27:51 – Lessons from Real Life

32:59 – Meeting People

35:29 – Lightning Round

Resources:

Laurie Labra LinkedIn Profile

KBR, Inc.

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

• 4 Steps to Effective Decision Making
• What Cheetahs Can Teach Us About Decision-Making
• 5 Ways Your Decision-Making Impacts Your Leadership Presence
• 6 Traits of Leaders Who Deliver Excellence
• The 5 Phases of Teaming
• The Nine Dimensions of Successful Teaming
• The 10 Rules for Amazingly High Performing Teams
• The 2 Levels in Every Conversation
• 5 Questions to Answer Before Your Next Hard Conversation
• 6 Tips for Improving Your Active Listening Skills
• High-Performing Team Guide

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For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.